New Delhi: Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram has been one of the most revered place for the Hindu devotees from time immemorial. However, the commuting and lodging facilities for the outstation pilgrims has never been upto the mark.

Now, the Railway Ministry has launched an ambitious scheme to revamp the Ayodhya pilgrimage while significantly improving the facilities in the temple town.

“A new station house, two overbridge will be built to enhance the experience of devotees. It will also be connected with Expressway to facilitate easy entry of pilgrims into the city. Also, large hoardings depicting Ayodhya’s rich culture and heritage will be put up at the railway station,” Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted yesterday.

Ayodhya railway station to get facelift at cost of Rs 80 crore

Last month, the Railways Minister of State (MoS) Manoj Sinha had announced that the Ayodhya Railway Station will get a facelift at a cost of Rs 80 crore. The Northern Railways will redevelop the station with modern facilities and model it around the proposed Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Ayodhya station on temple model, nothing objectionable: Goyal

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had also confirmed that the Railways was planning to build Ayodhya station on the model of a temple to connect people to Lord Ram’s birthplace and there was nothing objectionable if its design was the one conceptualised by the VHP for the Ram Janmabhoomi temple.

“In Ayodhya, if it (railway station) is connected to the birthplace of Lord Ram which all of us are well aware of, if Mathura is connected to the Vrindavan temple if Ajmer Sharif is connected to the dargah or mosque over there and if Agra is connected to the Taj Mahal, I think its a great contribution of the Indian Railways to teach our history, our heritage and our tradition to the next generation”, he said.